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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26123941">Stop biting that fucking lip!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookl0ver/pseuds/bookl0ver'>bookl0ver</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Fills [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EastEnders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Deaf Character, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hospitals, M/M, Prompt Fill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:33:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26123941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookl0ver/pseuds/bookl0ver</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fill for artsyleo and yasi - Stop biting that fucking lip!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Fills [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880095</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stop biting that fucking lip!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/yasi/gifts">yasi</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsyleo/gifts">artsyleo</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks for clicking! </p><p>Warnings: Hospitals, blood mentions, surgery mentions, swearing, deafness, minor unintentional self harm. </p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Stop biting that fucking lip!” </p><p>Callum jumped as his boyfriend’s voice suddenly filled the hospital room. His teeth clamped down harder on his lip, blood rising to the surface. He glanced over at Ben who was sat in a hospital gown, arms folded and frowning at him. </p><p>“You’re acting like I’m gonna die or something! It’s making me nervous.” </p><p>Hand raising to his chest he signed the word sorry, looking down at the floor. This operation was scary enough for Ben, he didn’t need him here making it worse. </p><p>Silence filled the room again as Ben relaxed back against the pillows. He kept touching where he knew the implant was going to go and shivering. In a few hours he would be one step closer to being able to hear again. It was exciting, sure he was shit scared that it could all go wrong, but the doctors had reassured him he was pretty much the ideal candidate for this. It was good, this was positive. And yet when he looked up at Callum, his beautiful, warm Callum, he was again nibbling at his lower lip, hands wrung together like a man awaiting the gallows. </p><p>Trying to avoid biting at his lip, Callum shoved his finger nails into his mouth, nibbling at them instead. It didn’t help, didn’t provide the same level of comfort and within seconds he had his bottom lip between his teeth, biting and aggravating the wound already forming. They’d be sore later, but it didn’t matter. Right now he needed to keep himself sane, avoid screaming with the nerves and anxiety that raced through him as he sat in the glow of Ben’s hope. No one would ever call Ben an optimist but regarding this he had been, making plans of what they’d do when his hearing returned, planning how to correctly care for his implant and the associated add-ons it required. Callum was happy that his boyfriend was so positive, especially after the first few weeks where all he expressed were complete desolation and despair at his state, but the closer the operation came the more and more anxious Callum became. </p><p>What if the operation didn’t work? What if all of the positivity and hope, all of the plans, were dashed and Ben was stuck like this forever? Callum would still love him, but Ben barely tolerated himself before the hearing loss, only the hope of it being temporary having kept him from the brink of a full-blown self-destruct. Once that hope was gone, what then? </p><p>“Callum, babe you’re bleeding, stop,” One of Ben’s hands wrapped around his, the other gently tilting his head up to face him. Only when Ben ran a tender thumb along his bottom lip, peeling it out of the grip of his teeth, did he recognise the jolt of pain. Blood covered the top of Ben’s thumb, and Callum’s stomach turned. </p><p>“Ben I’m sorry,” He started, tears of inadequacy pricking at his eyes. Between them, he wasn’t the one who was going to have major, life changing surgery, and yet here he was falling apart. “Maybe I should go, see you after the -" </p><p>“Don’t you dare.” Ben had read the words on his boyfriend’s lips, seen the guilt and anxiety in his eyes and wanted nothing more than to make it all go away. “I need you here, with me where you belong.” He paused, admiring Callum as he often did. Even in his guilt and sadness he was beautiful, eyes shining and honest, lips plump and full even as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Again, Ben wiped his thumb across it, sighing softly at Callum’s obvious hiss of pain, his long body flinching. “I know you’re scared baby, I am too. This... this could go wrong. But if it does, if it-" He swallowed thickly, clamping down on the panic rising in his chest at the thought. “– if my hearing doesn’t come back I’ll get through it. Cos I’ll have you with me, always. Now please, please, please stop biting that fucking lip. I can’t bear to see you hurting yourself.” </p><p>Callum smiled softly at the words, wincing at the pain from his cut lip and squeezed Ben’s hand. </p><p>“It will work, Ben,” He stated, pouring every ounce of confidence he had into the words, watching Ben smile as he processed them. His hand was brought up to Ben’s lips, a kiss pressed to the back of it. </p><p>“Mr. Mitchell.” </p><p>Ben turned to face the people who had walked into the room, Callum turning too and seeing a medical team. His stomach tightened and his gaze darted back to Ben, whose fear and anxiety were now open on his face. He quickly slipped a hand around the back of Ben’s head, playing with the strands at the nape of his neck and pressing a reassuring kiss to his lips, blushing under the stares of the medical team. </p><p>“Mr. Mitchell, we’re going to take you into surgery now.”</p><p>Ben squinted, not able to read the doctor’s lips and Callum turned his head again. “They’re taking you to surgery.” </p><p>Ben nodded and scooted back onto the bed. “Ready when you are Doc,” He stated cheerfully, bright smile plastered on his face as though it would hide the way his hands were trembling and his voice cracked. </p><p>Callum walked alongside them as they wheeled Ben down to the operating theatre, hands clenched together. </p><p>“Mr. Highway, we’re going to have to ask you to go to the waiting room now,” A kind nurse said, voice soft but firm and distinctly motherly in a way that soothed Callum, knowing Ben was in her care. </p><p>“I’ve got to go now,” He said to Ben, speaking as clearly as possible. “I will be right here waiting for you the whole time, I promise. I love you.” Reluctantly he let go of Ben’s hands to sign the last words. </p><p>“I love you too,” Ben said, voice gentle and face so young and vulnerable as he took Callum’s hand again and pressed another kiss to it that Callum felt his knees go weak. </p><p>Obediently he stepped out of the way when the kind nurse asked him to and watched his boyfriend disappear down the corridor. Only when they were truly out of sight did he make his way back to the waiting room, sinking down into the hard-plastic chair he would be calling home for the next few hours. </p><p>As he sat, mind racing with the possibilities of what may happen, his teeth sought out his bottom lip again. Ignorant of the pain he began to chew. </p><p>Until he knew Ben was alright, how the operation had gone, this was the only comfort he was going to get.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! </p><p>Please feel free to leave comments and kudos they are greatly appreciated! </p><p>Have a great day!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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